Mail box and signal



June 11, 1963 J. M. ALLEY 3,093,302

MAIL BOX AND SIGNAL Filed Nov.- 16, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 llllllllllll lllllm INVENTOR. JOHN MARK ALLE Y ATTO RNEY

June 11, 1963 J. M. ALLEY MAIL BOX AND SIGNAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 16, 1961 FIG. 5

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INVENTOR. JOHN MARK ALLEY ATTORNEY 3,093,302 MAIL BOX AND SIGNAL John Mark Alley, 309 E. Sunnydell, Derby, Kans. Filed Nov. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 152,878 7 Claims. (Cl. 23235) My invention relates broadly to mail and to means of storing such. In a more specific aspect, my invention relates to mail boxes. Yet in a more specific aspect, my invention relates to mail boxes equipped with devices by which the mail box door can be easily, safely and conveniently opened and by which a signal, such as a flag, informing persons viewing the box from a distance whether there is mail, can be easily, safely and conveniently activated and deactivated. Yet more specifically my invention relates to mail boxes equipped with push buttons by means of which the mail box door can be easily, safely and conveniently opened and by means of which the flag can be conveniently raised and lowered, such as from an automobile or truck,

Heretofore, mail boxes have been equipped with a variety of signaling devices which serve the dual purpose of informing the rural mailman when there is mail to be picked up and informing the occupant when mail has been delivered. When the mailman picks up but delivers no mail, he drops the flag, when the occupant goes out and brings in the mail but leaves none to be picked up, he drops the flag. The most common of these signaling devices has been a red metal flag on an arm. These fiags and similar devices have been heretofore constructed so that it is necessary to reach along the side of the box some distance, and it is thus often difficult or impossible for a person in a car or truck to reach the flag in order to raise or lower it. Also, the metal arm of the flag is often rusted or has sharp metal edges making it dangerous for people, particularly children, to operate. At times fingers or clothing get caught, torn and soiled in the hinging mechanism of the flag. The difliculty or inconvenience is such that often either the postman or the occupant fails to raise or lower the flag at the proper time, causing confusion and unnecessary stops or trips out from the house, and defeating the purpose of the signal flag. Also, the mailboxes of the prior art have commonly been equipped with a simple, spring-loaded catch to hold the door shut. This has the difiiculty of being difficult to operate when ones hands are full of mail. Also, the protruding handle which is necessary on such a mail box deteriorates because it is exposed to the elements. It, too, can catch on, and soil clothing, as it becomes very dirty and rusty with time. In cold weather, the spring-loaded catch can freeze solid and the door can be opened only with difiiculty, again wetting and soiling the hands. Not the least of the drawbacks of the prior art mail boxes is that they are ugly and unattractive to look at, with the exposed flag arm and hinge, and the protruding handle and spring loaded catch for the door.

The invention overcomes these difliculties by providing a lever or push button mechanism at the front of the mail box. By a simple manual operation of this mechanism, a signal can be activated or deactivated. It is no longer necessary to reach along the side of the mail box, or to get out of the car or truck. Also, preferably by pushing one of the buttons, the door is opened, simply and automatically.

More specifically and preferably, my mail box consists of a six-sided box, made of a suitable material such as plastic, having a roof, preferably curved. The mail box is equipped with a door which, when closed, preferably slants slightly outward at the top and which is hinged on its left side, as viewed from the front. The mail box has a back side which is preferably slanted parallel to the 3,093,302 Patented June 11, 1963 closed door and whose edges are preferably rounded at their junction with the other sides of the mail box. The mail box conveniently has door stops to prevent the door from continuing into the box upon being closed.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new mailstoring means.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new mail box.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a mail box with a signal easily activated and deactivated manually from the front of the box.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a mail box with a series of push buttons by means of which a signal flag can be raised and lowered and the door to the box can be opened.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure.

Drawings accompany and are a part of this disclosure. These drawings depict preferred specific embodiments of my new mail box invention, and it is to be understood that such drawings are not to unduly limit the scope of my invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred specific embodiment of the new mail box of my invention, with the door open, and the elongated mechanism cover partially cut away to show the preferred nature of the flag mountmg.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal view of the preferred push button mechanism, shown with the mechanism cover and the elongated mechanism cover off.

FIG. 3 is a transverse view of the preferred push button mechanism shown with the mechanism cover on, viewed from the front.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-section of the flag, showing its gear teeth, the cross-section being taken as shown in FIG. 2 along line 44.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section of the mechanism, taken as shown in FIG. 2, along line 55.

FIG. 6 is a transverse cross-section taken of the elongated mechanism cover at its rear mounting to the body of the mail box, taken as shown in FIG. 1, along the line 6-6.

FIG. 7 is a cross section of the door and the top door hinge.

FIG. 8 is a view, looking from the front of the mail box and a means for mounting it to a post or the like.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 through 8, the following discussion and description is made referring thereto and whereon the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same parts and/or structure. The discussion and description is of preferred specific embodiments of my invention, and it is to be understood that such is not to unduly limit the scope of my invention.

The preferred mail box of my invention has the following members. The mail box 10 has a door 1-2 which is hinged thereto by hinges l4 and 16. A stop 18 limits the inward swing of door 12. On the right side of the box 10, as viewed from the front toward the back, is a boss 22 of suitable shape, preferably cylindrical, and made of a suitable material such as plastic, -wood, or metal. It is preferably positioned centrally on the right side of box 10, and extending outward but not inward. A rectangularly formed strip 24 lacking one of the short sides of the rectangle is attached, on one edge of the strip 24, to the right side of the box 10, preferably in such a position that the missing side, were it present, would be substantially in the plane of the closed door 12. The non-attached edges of the two long sides of the rectangle 24, are bent toward one another. Each of the long sides of 24 has protrusions 30 and 32 with a threaded hole therein whose axis is parallel to that of the boss 22, that is, perpendicular to the right side. The non-attached edges of the two long sides each have flanges 26 and 28 extending the length of the long sides and being a continuation of the bottom surface of the top side of the rectangle 24 and the top surface of the bottom side of the rectangle 24. An elongated holder member 34 made of a Suitable material such as metal or plastic is formed at each end thereof to the rectangularly bent strip 24 and has three staggered vertical portions, in the center of each of which is a semicylindrical notch. At each junction of this holder member 34 with the rectangularly bent strip 24 are threaded holes 36 and 38, the axis of which is parallel to that of the cylindrical boss 22.

Located on the right side of the mail box is a member 20, preferably made of a suitable material such as plastic, shaped like a fiat trapezoid, having three equally spaced rectangular holes with their long sides colinear with each other and parallel to the base of the trapezoid. The base is attached to the right side of the box 10 very near the front, so that the member is substantially parallel to the plane of the door 12, when closed. The portions of the non-parallel edges nearest the .base both fit adjacent to the inwardly bent strips 24. The rectangular holes are so positioned as to be approximately coaxial with the axis of the corresponding semi-circular notch.

A mechanism cover 40, made of an appropriate material such as metal or plastic, is mounted on the rectangularly bent strip 24, and has three portions, each of which have, as a cross section, the three short sides of a fiat trapezoid, each of the trapezoids having bases of identical length and having corresponding angles identical with the other two. These bases all are in a plane, and the edges where the sides of the trapezoids meet the missing base have flanges and 27 which allow the cover to be easily mounted and positioned on the rectangularly bent strip 24. The trapezoids preferably become increasingly flat as they progress rearward. The rearmost portion has a hole 41 whose size is that of the inside of the boss 22 and which is coaxial with the boss 22. This rearmost portion is spaced 3. short distance from the boss 22. The middle portion has a small threaded hole near the front edge. Mounted on the back of the middle portion is a brace 42 whose shape is a mirror image of the holder member or brace 34 and which, when in place, forms with the other brace 34 three circular holes. The sides of this cover have four holes 37, two coaxial with the holes in the protrusions 30 and 32 of the rectangular strip 24 and the other two coaxial with the holes 38 and 36 in the junctions of the staggered holder 34 with the strip 24.

A flag 44, preferably of a suitable material such as meal, and preferably fiat, four sided, and painted or otherwise colored with an attention-attracting color such as red, and suitably shaped, such as having one very short side, a second side perpendicular and adjacent to the first side, and a third and fourth mutually perpendicular side, neither perpendicular to the second side, is rotatably mounted to the mail box 10 by means of a cylindrical portion 46 of diameter such as to be rotatably mountable in the boss 22. The portion 46 extends on one side of the flag 44-, whose axis is perpendicular to the plane of the four sided portion, and whose curved surface is tangent to the second and third sides. The corner of the Second and third sides is rounded tangent to the cylinder 46. The cylinder 46 is rotatably mounted in the boss 22 and in the hole 41 in the mechanism cover 40. The middle portion of the cylinder 46 has gear teeth 48 cut therein.

An elongated rectangular cover 50 of a suitable material such as metal or plastic is preferably attached by screws, by means of holed flanges in its rear portion to the mail box 10 through two holes drilled in the right side thereof and through a hole drilled in the center of the forward portion to the mechanism cover 40 through the small threaded hole in the middle portion of the mechanism cover. The elongated cover has flange 52 along its length so that two rows of letters and numbers can be inserted, to display the name and address of the occupant of the dwelling using the mail box.

Three similar plungers 54, 56 and 58 are provided, slidably mounted in the three rectangular holes and the three circular holes. The plungers 54, 56 and 58 have a rectangular cross section at their front portion, a circular cross section at their middle portion, and a smaller circular cross section at the rear portion. The rectangular ends of the top, middle, and bottom portions are stamped or otherwise marked with the words door, down and up respectively. Each plunger 54, 56 and 58 has a jacket 60 at the junction of the rectangular and circular portions, which is larger in cross section than either of those portions, and which serves to prevent the middle portion from passing forward through the rectangular hole. Each plunger 54, 56 and 58 is held forward by a helical spring 62 fitted around the rear portion, the spring 62 being braced at one end by the end of the middle circular portion and braced at the other end by the two notched braces. The bottom plunger 58 has a relatively longer rear circular portion equipped at its end with a piece having gear teeth 64 on its top side which are meshable with the gear teeth 48 on the flag cylinder 46 when the bottom plunger is pushed. Each plunger 54, 56 and 58 has a small notch 65 drilled a short distance therein behind the jacket 60, on the top of the middle portion. Each plunger 54, 56 and 58 also has a notch 66 in the bottom of the middle portion near its connection with the rear portion.

A lever 68 is positioned between the up and down plungers, 58 and 56 respectively, whose fulcrum 70 is attached to the right side of the box 10, and which has a small spring 72 attached to it and to the box 10 tending to turn the lever 68 counterclockwise as viewed toward the box 10 from the right side. This lever 68 is so positioned and fashioned that when neither the up" nor the down plunger 58 and 56 respectively has been pushed, thespring holds the front of the lever tight against the top of the bottom or up plunger 58 and the rear end of the lever 68 fits into the notch 66 in the middle or down plunger 56. When the bottom or up plunger 58 is pushed, raising the flag 44, the front end of the lever 68 fits into the slot 65 cut in the top of the up plunger 58, holding it stationary and holding the flag 44 up. When the middle or down plunger 56 is pushed, the rear end of the lever 631's forced down andout of the notch 65 pulling the front end out of the slot 65 in the bottom or up plunger 58, allowing the up plunger 58 to return to its original, forward position, and allowing the flag 44 to come down.

A second lever 74 is positioned between the down and door plungers 56 and 54 respectively, whose fulcrum 76 is attached to the right side of the box 10. This lever also has a small spring 78 attached thereto and to the right side of the box 10 tending to turn the lever 74 counterclockwise as viewed from the right side. The front portion 80 of this lever 74 is located just inside the mail box 10. The front end has a downward protrusion 82. This front end is connected to the remainder of the lever 74 by means of an elongated piece 84 perpendicular to and passing through a hole 86 in the right side.

A catch is provided which is mounted on the inside of the door 12 in such a position as to be engageable with the downward protrusion 82 of the lever 74, and this catch comprises two braces 88 with a connecting bar 90.

A spring 92 is mounted on the inside of the left wall of the mail box 10, which is engaged with and exerts force to open the door 12.

FIG. 8 illustrates a preferred means of mounting the mail box 10 to a post 94 or the like. A wood strip 96 runs the length of the mail box 10 and is secured thereto with nuts and bolts 98.

The mail box 10 of my invention operates as follows: When it is desired to raise the flag, the bottom or up plunger is pushed. The gear teeth 64 mounted on this plunger engage the gear teeth 48 on the flag 44 and turn it to a visible position. At this point the spring 72 pulls the forward end of lever 68 into the notch on the top of plunger 58, the up plunger, holding it stationary. When it is desired to lower the flag, the middle or down button is pushed. This forces notch 66 against the rear end of lever 68, and forces its front end out of the hole in plunger 58, ali-owing plunger 58 to return to its forward position, with the consequent lowering of the flag 44.

When it is desired to open door 12, plunger 54 is pushed. Lever 74 is forced out of the notch 66 in plunger 54, causing the lever to turn around fulcrum 76, raising forward end 86 and removing projection 82 from contact with cross piece W of the catch. Spring 92 then forces the door open.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, various changes and modifications of the preferred mail box structure of my invention disclosed herein can be made or followed Without departing from the spirit of the disclosure or from the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A mail box comprising,

a box having attached thereon plunger-supporting means and means to rotatably mount attention-attracting means,

mechanism cover means, mounted on said box,

attention-attracting means, rotatably mounted on said box and said mechanism cover, equipped With means by which said attention-attracting means can be rotatably activated and deactivated,

door opening means,

plunger means, mounted in said plunger-supporting means, capable of rotatably activating and deactivating said attention-attracting means and capable of opening said box, said attention-attracting means being activated by a manual movement of one of said plunger means, said attention-attracting means being deactivated by a manual movement of another one of said plunger means, and said box being opened by manual movement of another one of said plunger means.

2. A mail box comprising a box having a door for its front side, an elongated mechanism cover means mounted on said box, a flag rotatably mounted on said box in close proximity to said cover means, three plungers, means within said cover means to slidably support said three plungers with an end portion of each plunger protruding outside of said cover means, spring means urging said plungers into said protruding position relative to said cover, a

6 means associated with a first of said plungers to open said door when said first plunger is actuated, a means associ ated with a second of said plungers to rotate said flag into an upstanding position when said second plunger is aotuated, a means associated with a third of said plungers to rotate said flag into a horizontal retracted position when said third plunger is actuated.

3. The mail box structure of claim 2, wherein said means to open the door includes a spring means to bias said door into an open position, and engagement means on said door, a notch on said first plunger, and a pivotally mounted first latch means to releasably engage said on gagement means when a portion of said latch means is in selective engagement with said notch on said plunger.

4. The mail box structure of claim 2 wherein the means to rotate the flag includes a cylinder having gear teeth rigidly mounted on said flag, a gear rack on said second plunger in engagement with said teeth on said cylinder, a notch on said second plunger, and a second latch means to releasably engage said notch on said second plunger.

5. The mail box structure of claim 4 wherein the means to rotate said flag into a horizontal retracted position includes a notch on said third plunger, a portion on said second latch means to selectively engage said notch on said third plunger.

6. A mail box comprising a box, a door on said box, a rotatably mounted attention attracting means on said box selectively movable to either a readily observable position or an unobservable retracted position, a manual operating means for said box, said operating means including a means to open said door, a means to move said attentionattracting means to said readily observable position, and a means to move said attention-attracting means to said unobservable retracted position.

7. A means to contain comprising, an enclosure means having a door, an attention-attracting means movably mounted on said enclosure means, operating means for said enclosure means, said operating means including a plunger means to open said door, and a plunger means to selectively position said attention-attracting means independently of said plunger means to open said door.

Chrisman Aug. 31, 1954 Johnson Feb. 9, 1960 

7. A MEANS TO CONTAIN COMPRISING, AN ENCLOSURE MEANS HAVING A DOOR, AN ATTENTION-ATTRACTING MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS, OPERATING MEANS FOR SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS, SAID OPERATING MEANS INCLUDING A PLUNGER MEANS TO OPEN SAID DOOR, AND A PLUNGER MEANS TO SELECTIVELY POSITION SAID ATTENTION-ATTRACTING MEANS INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID PLUNGER MEANS TO OPEN SAID DOOR. 